New eligibility rule draws criticism

Local sports federations expressed disappointment with the new eligibility rule for the Pacific Games that will take effect next year in Apia, Samoa.

Among those not too happy was CNMI National Tennis coach and Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association vice president Jeff Race, who expressed his disappointment at the decision shortly after learning about it during last Thursday’s Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association meeting.

“[The] most important thing to remember when looking at this sort of thing is that for people in general and kids especially, one of the most important things in life is goals because goals are what motivates you to move ahead and work hard and get things done. What the Pacific Games Council has done is for a large number of young people in a lot of countries is they’ve just removed a major goal,” Race said during an interview yesterday.

“What you get is kids that lived here their whole lives and weren’t born here and now their major goal has been removed, so why should they pursue these athletic pursuits which is positive because pursuits can take them anywhere,” he added.

Race said the decision by the Pacific Games Council has now resulted in the CNMI not being able to send a tennis team to the Games next year in Samoa. Race said many of the top players on the tennis scene are greatly affected—players such as CNMI No. 1 women’s player Kana Aikawa and rising star Ji Hoon Heo.

“Why should these people who have become exceptional athletes here with resources supplied here and the coaching and facilities be denied opportunity to compete? I think it was aimed mostly on other countries but it will hurt us. It deprives kids of an opportunity to pursue goals and that’s what sports is all about. It’s not about being American, Palauan, Japanese, Korean…its about people developing potential no matter where they’re from. It deprives people from setting and reaching goals that are important for personal development as kids or adults,” he said.

For his part, Marianas Amateur Table Tennis Association official Mario Espeleta disclosed that the decision has also forced the organization to pull out from the Games.

“We will not be able to send a team anymore,” he said. “Whatever the reason[s] behind this change, it will just block the sustainable sports development. The Pacific Games as well as the Micronesian Games are like a mini-Olympic games, where sports are practiced without discrimination of any kind. As in the Olympic movement, the old charter contributes to building a peaceful understanding and camaraderie among participating nations. All of us sports enthusiasts have his or her own passion. We unite this passion, a multitude of them participate in these Games to express and improve themselves, especially when they meet different players of color, race, language, and skills in fair play and friendship.”

Veteran golfer Jess Wabol was also disappointed with the decision, explaining that golf may also be affected.

“I think we’re going to be affected. I’m not sure but my concern now in golf is [Sasaki] Oliver. That [decision] will not give us the best athletes. If you see the qualifying tournament, a lot of those guys that were coming…these guys could try out for bigger Games but now they cannot. Like I said I don’t like the decision. If you look at it, a lot of our athletes are going to be hurt and in the CNMI, we’re a small community,” he said.

Wabol and Race both expressed similar opinions that athletes who have already competed in the Games in the past should not be affected by the rule.

During the NMASA meeting, though, NMASA president Michael White said the rule will apply to everyone. A person must be a citizen of the country he or she will be representing and must have accumulated five years of residency.

Wabol also explained that another reason why he is disappointed is the rule will immediately be in effect as athletes who do not qualify with the new rule have already been training hard for the Games.

Long-time sports enthusiast Bill Sakovich also commented on the issue, citing that there are many pros and cons about the decision.

“My gut feeling is the opportunity to participate for the islands should pretty much come from those who spent most of their lives here,” he said. “You trained in these facilities, working your butt off, doing the best that you can. You get a guy in the States that’s the same age, he’s got better facilities, better coaching, of course chances are he should be a better athlete than you, and maybe he didn’t have to work as hard. So I kind a have the feeling that you got to gear it a little toward the people here or lived here their lives and the only reason they’re not here is because they’re going to school.

“We’re talking about all the islands, and specifically here and that’s going to be a problem. We don’t have that many indigenous people that are really participating. It’s hard to put up a team. We just don’t have enough numbers to get enough athletes,” he said.

Sakovich said he favors the previous rule of residing at a certain place for a certain number of years.

“I kind a like the way it was, which was a residency requirement. If I come down here, my kids come down here, they were here for 90 percent of their lives, they should be eligible,” he said.